One of the most pervasive [myths] concerns Procter & Gamble, the American detergents group that makes Tide. The rumours were kickstarted again by reports that the company's president had appeared on a television chatshow and revealed that P&G donated a proportion of its profits to the Church of Satan (he didn't). This is a quoted company on the New York Stock Exchange. As Snopes.com, the excellent American website that chronicles urban myths, puts it dryly: “Were P&G handing any portion of its profits to Satan, that would be readily apparent in its financial statements.”

There are plenty of other corporate myths. With grateful thanks to Snopes.com, here are some: